


Rage and Irony

by dystopianMaiden, heartKinds



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Closeted Character, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, High School, Homophobia, Humanstuck, M/M, Multi, Public Humiliation, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-08 06:11:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17975960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dystopianMaiden/pseuds/dystopianMaiden, https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartKinds/pseuds/heartKinds
Summary: “I’m simply saying that social groups can often form on the random, at the hands of fate or any odd similarities people may have.”Your name is Dave Strider, and you’ve just found yourself knotted up in a mess of kids with nothing in common, who seem to mean the world to each other. Weird.Your name is Karkat Vantas, and good god, do you hate this son of a bitch. What does he think he’s doing, getting involved in other people’s business?You are the reader. You are about to hear a story about that stupid emotion called “friendship”, unlikely love, family, and every other hurdle that these kids have to overcome in their freshman year of highschool.





	1. Chapter 1

“I’ve made an observation.” A deep, feminine voice said above the chatter of the cafeteria. Dave paused his chewing, glancing up to meet the eyes of the girl who spoke.  
“And what would that be?” He asked.  
“Cliques aren’t formed based solely on popularity.”  
He snorted, and went back to his food. “No shit Lalonde, we’re a group, but not even Juggalo over there is more hated than our sorry asses.” He said, resulting in an elbow to the stomach from a dark haired girl.  
“Dave, don’t be rude. She’s not done talking!” Jade said, giving Dave a glance. Rose gave a small smile and nod to her friend before continuing.  
“Jade is correct. And Dave, I’m not implying that cliques don’t form because of popularity. I’m simply saying that social groups can often form on the random, at the hands of fate or any odd similarities people may have.”  
John leaned in a bit, glasses sliding down his nose. “I’m not really following. Isn’t that sort of common knowledge?”  
Rose sighed, furrowing her brow a bit in thought. “Perhaps I should give an example.”  
All three kids began following the girl’s eyes as she gazed across the crowded cafeteria, in search of an adequate subject.  
“There’s Opie and Born. They’re definitely an odd pair.”  
“The Callie twins?” John asked as all four looked over at the siblings. They sat, chatting beside the vending machine, deep in what appeared to be an extremely heated argument. The girl was dressed in an deep green suit, while the brother donned a black hoodie.  
“They’re complete opposites,” Dave stated blandly. “How do they even talk without wanting to punch each other in their extremely long noses?”  
“Dave,” Jade said, elbowing him in the chest. “Be nice!”  
But, he was right. Goddamn, he could not be more right. On the whole scale of popularity at MSP Memorial, the brother and sister pair fell very, very low on the hierarchy. At that particular moment, the two were shoulders deep in a game of chess, just as they tended to be most other lunches. As if that wasn’t socially suicidal enough for them, their appearances definitely sealed the deal. One acne ridden, the other dressed as if she were attending a funeral.  
“So,” said Jade, “What do you think brings those two together, other than their being brother and sister?”  
Rose narrowed her eyes, seeming to analyze them. “Well, none of us know them very well, so there are almost certainly factors we don’t know about. But they are likely close.”  
Dave snorted, and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve got my doubts about that. Every time I see ‘em they’re at each other’s throats.”  
This time was no different. The two currently seemed to be engaged in a heated debate over the values of plot and action in BNHA.  
Rose gave a small chuckle. “Well, that’s true, but two people who entirely despise each other probably wouldn’t shave their heads together.”  
“Why do you think they did it together?”  
“Well, think about. It was either that or they did it separately, and I doubt they’d do something so drastic as individuals.”  
There was a small silence as they each individually took in that information. John broke it (he was usually the one of the group to break things).  
“Actually, I think I kind of get what you’re saying. Even though those two have pretty much nothing in common… shit, this is gonna sound mean.”  
“Nothing sounds mean with Dave around,” Jade giggled.  
John hesitated before continuing. “Well, they’re both so incredibly strange that even though they’re so different, they’re sort of the same. It’s what brings them together.”  
Rose nodded in agreement. “Precisely. United by fate's hand.”  
Dave brushed a hand through his blonde hair, seeming thoroughly bored. “I’m completely dumbfounded by how little sense this conversation is making.” John sighed, seeming frustrated with his friend.  
“No, no, it makes sense… Ah! Okay, take them for example.” He pointed towards the group of four sophomores. One of them actually seemed to be the source of most noise in the cafeteria. It was sort of impressive, considering that the noise was almost as loud as a blue whale. Rose sighed, hiding her face in secondhand embarrassment for her sister.  
“What, you mean Jake and his friends? They’re pretty normal.” Jade began tugging on a dark green rubber band strung on her ring finger like some gumball machine wedding ring.  
“Separately they’re pretty normal,” John pointed out. “Together? Not so much. Roxy should by all means be part of the dumb blonde gang. You know, with Dave.” Rose snickered at this comment, prompting a certain finger from the boy in aviators. John wasn’t wrong in that observation. With her loose shirt that showed just a little too much cleavage for the school dress code, she seemed to be some sort of modern Heather Chandler.  
“Jane, on the other hand…” He took a look at his half sister. “Don’t get me wrong, I love her to pieces-”  
“Gay.”  
“But I don’t think that either of us really classify as cool kids.”  
Jade patted him on the shoulder. “Aw, John, you’re super cool!”  
“I think your use of the word ‘cool kid’ automatically classifies you as uncool.”  
After a sharp stare in Rose’s direction, Jade turned back to John expectantly.  
“Anyway, we have weird interests. Other than Roxy’s wizard thing, I’m pretty sure the two have no hobbies that they could bond over.”  
Rose nodded, taking another bite of overcooked green beans. “From her sister’s perspective, I can confirm. Jane is actually a decent person.”  
Jade added to this, showing new interest in the discussion. “That’s a good point! My cousin and Dirk are both total jocks, but they get along with Jane just fine! Plus, Jake has a huge crush on her.”  
John scrunched his nose in disgust. “Eugh. Please don’t talk about my sister like that.” This triggered an attack of giggles from the brunette.  
“So,” The boy paused to take a sip of his apple juice. “What are you trying to say?”  
Jade, seeming to be having something of a revelation, spoke up with a newfound excitement.  
“Well, they have nothing in common! But yet they’re really good friends.” She paused for a second. “Come to think of it, the only reason we all became friends is because they introduced us! It was just pure luck. No popularity factor.”  
Dave seemed to understand a bit more, nuzzling into his red hoodie while nodding. “Okay, yeah. Sure. But, in that case…” He twisted around in his chair, and pointed at the largest group in the cafeteria. Two tables seating six had been pushed together in violation of the cafeteria rules. Sitting at it were 12 different students who seemed to have absolutely nothing in common.  
“Explain them.”  
For a moment, all four sat dumbfounded, staring at the group. Even the the goth-esque valedictorian seemed a bit stumped by this case. Most others were.  
The kids at this table weren’t at one place or another on the spectrum. There were beautiful people which none of them would even consider talking to. A skinny girl with raven black hair cackled at some joke which undoubtedly could make the queen of England laugh, if it was good enough for her. Sitting next to her was a guy who would fit right in at the chess table. He seemed to be wearing… were those 3-D glasses? Nope, just a stupid looking fashion choice. Maybe he was like a jester to the queen bee. Whatever the case, he didn’t fit in there, but seemed right at home. Each kid had their own unique quirk, eac- oh, shit, one was staring right back at Dave. He must have been staring too long. A loud scrape came ringing from the linoleum floor as the boy in the black sweater stood up, glaring at him with a hard stare.  
“Oh shit, Dave, I think he saw us.”  
A boy with choppy black hair came stomping towards the group, at the clear distress of the taller girl sitting next to him.  
“Got something to say, Travolta?” He yelled. Jesus christ, his voice should not be that raspy. At this point, they’d caught the attention of a few other students. Caliborn stared, intrigued.  
Probably hoping to see some blood shed, who knows. Whatever was the deal with that dude, Dave was now being grabbed by the collar of his hoodie, with a furious boy giving him a look nothing short of terrifying. But come on, this was Dave Strider. Some angry kid who caught him pointing wasn’t going to scare him (and know about it).  
“Who are you?” He gave the boy a hard, stony glare through the aviator sunglasses. The boy glared right back, red flecked eyes shooting him down.  
“The name is Karkat Fucking Vantas.”


	2. Karkat Fucking Vantas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is “Karkat Fucking Vantas”, and you just wound up in the counselor’s office for misconduct and use of foul language. 
> 
> Fuck. That.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! if you're here, that probably means you read the last chapter, which really means a lot. thank you for that! <3

_ Your name is “Karkat Fucking Vantas”, and you just wound up in the counselor’s office for misconduct and use of foul language.  _

 

_ Fuck. That.  _

 

A young man who seemed to be incredibly underdressed for the position of guidance counselor sat across from the two boys, seeming to be, if anything, bored out of his mind. Honestly, this guy looked like he’d just snuck into the school and killed the real teacher. The boy in red sat slouched in his chair, submerged in a deep state of not caring so insanely cool that it infuriated Karkat to no end.  _ Jesus Christ, it’s hot in here. _ For a moment, the boy considered taking off his hoodie, but quickly shut the idea down. Not in front of Dave, anyway. In petty retaliation of his own idea, he shuffled deeper into his own sweater. He’d deal with the heat whether he liked it or not (he didn’t like it). 

From his desk, the man in the green t-shirt stretched and stared the two down. “So, I heard from Ms. Batterwitch that you two were making a ruckus down in the cafeteria. Is that true?” The boy clad in red simply sat there. Karkat couldn’t tell if he was eyeballing him from behind those stupid looking glasses, but based on that perfectly irritating smirk, he had an educated hypothesis. 

“If by “causing a ruckus”, you mean yelling at this asshole because he was making fun of my friends and I, then yes, we damn were!” 

Dave sat up. “Hey, I wasn’t making fun of you and your friends. We were just talking.” 

“About what!” 

“I don’t know, some fruity asshole rumpus or something. This whole ordeal is so fucking stupid.” 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean-” 

Finally, the man stood up, placing a hand in front of each infuriated student’s chest. “Hey, hey, hey! This isn’t what talking it out means, damn it. Listen, you both need to apologize.” 

Silence. 

“Dave. You first.” 

Rolling his eyes behind the dark shades, Dave sat back in his chair and extended a sleeved arm. In a tone absolutely slimy with irony, he said, “I, David Strider, apologize to you, Karkat Fucking Vantas. I hope that after this tense moment, the two of us can become dearest of best chums.” 

In a flustered rage, the boy turned to his teacher, leaning contently back in his chair, smiling in satisfaction. “A-aren’t you going to get after him? For swearing?” 

His grin turned to a hard stare. “I believe in free expression in this office, Karkat.” Sighing, Karkat looked back at his lap, seething. 

“Fine. I, Karkat Fucking Vantas-“ 

“Hey, language.” Karkat stared at his teacher in confusion for a moment, before grunting and shaking his head. 

“I, Karkat Vantas, apologize to you, David Strider.” He paused, looking up. “Happy?” 

The man in green smiled widely, taking a sip of nondescript soda. “Absolutely. You may return to class now.” 

Without hesitation, Karkat stood up, the sound of the chair scraping against the floor making Dave cringe. He left without a word, Dave following close behind.  _ What a weirdo. _

The moment the door to the counselor's office closed, a small girl came running up to the pair, grabbing Karkat by his shoulders and making him stoop down a bit to meet her in a hug. His disdainful shouts almost managed to drown out her excited cries of, “Karkitty!” Dave couldn’t help but smile a bit. She was sweet. 

Up from behind the girl came Jade, her long tresses wound up in an overflowing bun. 

“Dave! Is everything okay? I’ve heard that Mr. H. can be… difficult, but I know that you can handle pretty much any teacher.” Her brow was furrowed with concern. 

“Yeah, I’m all good. He was fine. Weird, but fine, I guess.” He leaned against the wall, enjoying the cool air-conditioned hallway. 

Out of nowhere, the same small girl who’d attacked pounced on Dave, squealing in excitement. His heart skipped a beat in panic as he was trampled to the ground, letting out a small cry. At this noise, his attacker quickly scrambled off of his body and extended a hand for him to grab on to. 

He denied it, and quickly pushed the bridge of his sunglasses back onto his nose, heart still racing from the sneak attack. Mildly infuriated, he turned to the girl. She spoke before he had the chance to, though. 

“Hi, there! Sorry about pouncing on you, I just get a little bit excited sometimes.” Karkat stepped up behind the smaller girl, and shot Dave a stare which pretty clearly said, “ _ Don’t you dare mess with her.”  _

Though he certainly would have done anything to spite his newfound enemy, purposefully screwing with someone innocent was just was a bit too far. So, he gave in and took the gloved hand extended to him. She shook it vigorously, taking joy in this small victory. 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m Dave.” 

Turning to Jade, the nameless freshman a bit too small for her green blouse giggled uncontrollably. “Silly kitty, I know! Jade told me all about you.” She spoke in a voice a bit higher than Jade’s. To an extent, it was charming. It sort of reminded him of a little kid. The girl excitedly scratched at her blue hat as she continued on. 

“My name is Nepeta Leijon. This is my best friend, Karkitty.” Karkat scowled from behind her, flipping Dave off while turning to face the wall. She rolled her eyes at his behavior, and tucked a strand of wild coppery hair behind her ear, grinning. “Don’t mind him, he purr-tends to hate everyone, but he can be a softy once you get to know him.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Nepeta.” 

She just kept grinning, scratching at the nape of her neck. “...Really get to know him. Speaking of getting to know a purr-son, Karkat, Feferi said she wanted to come to see you afterwards as well, but she couldn’t miss her Chem test.” 

From the wall, Karkat began slinging his bright red backpack over his shoulder, responding. “Good. She’s pushy enough as it is.” At this statement, Dave faltered in his demeanor. Feferi as in… that Feferi? Untouchable One? Miss Perfect? 

Jade was the one to tap his shoulder and snap him out of his thoughts. “Hello, Dave..!” He shook his head, rubbing his eyes under the shades. 

“Yeah, sorry dude. I’m just hella tired.” 

Jade, adjusting her round frames, gave a sympathetic smile in response. “Oh, don’t worry about it. We should be heading back to class, anyway.” She turned to Nepeta, who was hanging off of Karkat’s slender frame like a handbag. “So, you take bus 11 right?” 

“Yup!” 

“Cool! In that case, I’ll see you after school!” Before either of the boys could get out another word, Jade turned and began jogging to her next class. Dave could only wave a small goodbye to Nepeta before chasing after his friend. She didn’t bother stopping once he caught up, but did slow down a tiny bit. 

“Yo, Harley, what are you talking about?” 

“Oh, with Nepeta? We’re meeting up after school. She’s having a few friends over and invited me.” The smile she gave was so innocent as if she didn’t know what she was doing. Did she know..?

“Jade, I was coming over to your house today. Or did you chicken out on dealing with the Strider flair?” He made sure to throw in an obviously ironic wink for good measure, which she chuckled at. 

“Oh, I must have forgotten! Sorry, Dave! But, if you want, Nepeta did say it’s an open invite. You should come!” Yeah, she definitely forgot their plans on purpose. God, she was always doing this, trying to get him to go places he just didn’t want to because it was “good for him”. Bullshit, he was perfectly fine never talking to anyone. Ever. 

And here he came to a crossroads. On one hand, people have never been Dave’s strong suit.  _ Especially _ new ones. And he was way, way too cool for this friendly meetup bullshit. But on the other hand, he really, really, really needed Jade’s help studying for that bio test on Tuesday (but she didn’t need to know that). Not to mention that he would much rather be out than at home with his Bro and Dirk. 

“...Yeah, sure. Should be fun.” 

Her face lit up, and Dave felt a twitch of a smile on his face. He didn’t smile, though. Everyone knows that cool kids don’t smile. They smirk. She paused her slow jog to reach up, giving the taller boy a jovial embrace. “Yay! You won’t regret this, Dave!” And with that, she ran off, skirt flying behind her while she tightly clutched her hall pass. He followed behind, walking, and trying to ignore his eminent sense of panic at what would happen after 6th period. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for reading. i'm really enjoying writing this and i get to explore my character headcanons in this. let me know if you have any suggestions~!


	3. “Chill As Balls”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After much protest, Dave agrees to come with Jade to the house of a girl he’s barely met. In short, things are much different than he expected.

Okay, yes, he would admit it. This was way better than going home. But, by no means did that mean Dave was enjoying his time on the crowded school bus with the girls. After all, there was a reason he usually rode his bike home. Now, he found himself crammed between two far-too-enthusiastic girls who could not seem to get enough of him. Pinching him on the cheeks, patting his hair- at some point, Nepeta pawed at his sunglasses, to which he batted her hand away. Thank god for those glasses, too. The two had no idea just how uncomfortable he was, and cool kids don’t get uncomfortable.

Obviously.

Besides, the ride wasn’t all terrible. When he’d offered, the catty young girl seemed quite excited to hear his music, and was completely engaged in his “sick beats” until the bus came to a stop.

“This is my house neow!” She pointed out the window, and Dave looked up. He gawked.

_Holy_. _Shit_.

As if the insistent cat puns weren’t enough, her house certainly was the limit. In the many windows sat at least 5 different cats, all happily staring directly at him. In all fairness, they weren’t staring at him really. But Dave being a dog person meant that those blank faces did not sit well with him.

In his peripheral vision, another large cat lay motionless in the grass. It wasn’t looking at anything. Just… sitting there.

Stepping off of the bus, he gave Jade a quick tap on the shoulder, to which she spun around at. “Yo, Harley… Is it just me or does is that cat… dead?” He pointed, a bit nervous. He did not want to be the one breaking the news about some girl’s cat dying. Because that would be such a Dave thing to do.

At his question, she scanned the high grass, eventually spotting the white cat he was talking about. After a moment, she erupted with laughter. Dave tried not to flush as she caught her breath. Being albino, he didn’t do very well. Once she had finally caught her breath, she stammered out an apology, still giggling. Nepeta was staring at the two with a curious look like those of her cats.

“Ah, I’m sorry- Dave, no, the cat isn’t dead, silly. Watch!” A bit reluctantly, he kept staring at the creature, perched perfectly still. It must have been asleep-

“Oh!” Within a split second, the cat had leapt from it’s spot in the grass and pounced on what appeared to be a mouse. Seeing this, Nepeta squealed and clapped, jumping in excitement. “Well done, Pounce!” The white feline turned around and quickly dashed into the arms of the redhead, giving a meow in greeting. It was quite off putting, with the usual nature of cats.

Eyes crinkled with joy, she turned to the pair. “This is my kitty, Pounce de Leon! She’s a good hunter, and a grrr-eat pet!”

Jade approached the pair, hand extended to the friendly kitten. “Aw, hello prec-” Suddenly, her eyes grew wide, and she took a startled step away from the animal. “Ahh-! What…”

Though most others would be taken aback by her abrupt reaction, Nepeta simply grinned while patting each of Pounce’s snouts. Others must have been a bit scared by the animals appearance as well. “Oh, don’t be afraid! Her mama had a rare genetic disorder, which de-fur-med his face. But, it’s like I always say! Two mouths eat twice as many mice!”

Though a bit disturbed, Dave found that the small animal was strangely… endearing. In a weird way. He felt a soft, warm sympathy for it, the same way he felt for Jade or John. Man, Rose would have a ball psychoanalyzing this. As coolly as he could, he stepped forward and reached out to pat the snow white creature. It reveled in his touch, and purred loudly, making Jade giggle. “Aw, Dave, he likes you!” And once again, he felt a twitch in his lip, which he had to fight off, remembering his whole “too good for emotions” complex.

Interrupting his thoughts came a low, deadpan voice from the window. “Nepeta, please come inside, Vriska is growing restless.” It was steady. Strong.

Another voice from within the house followed up after him, female and extremely loud. “Aw, Equius, don’t be a buzzkill~! We’re perfectly fine without our kitty friend.”

Nepeta, rolling her olive eyes, turned to the front door. “We should probably head in. I’m sure my friends are all dying to meet you!”

As the young girl took off running to her house, Dave turned to Jade, leaning down a bit to whisper in her ear. “Harley, how many people did you say she was having over again?”

Jade shrugged him off, skipping along after her new friend. “Oh, 9 or 10, I think!”

His heart skipped a beat as he chased after her. “9 or 10?!”

\---

Upon entering the old house, the three (four, if you were to count Pounce) were greeted by another cat. It was being chased by what appeared to be a… gecko.

Sure, whatever.

The voices coming from the living room were loud, seeming an equal mix of male and female. There were definitely a lot of people. Seeing them, a thin boy who’s biceps seemed to be bulging out of his tank top approached the group, embracing Nepeta in a tender hug, to which she actually purred. As well as a human can purr, anyway.

His long black hair hung greasy around his neck. In all honesty, he was sort of disgusting. For some reason, he also seemed to have just gotten out of the shower, with how wet he was.

“Nepeta, who the hell are these two?” At the voice, Dave diverted his eyes from the loving pair, meeting the eyes of the girl with glasses glaring at him. Her eyebrow was raised. Her hair was long. Black, dyed blue at the ends.

Pretty, but still scary. Jade stepped up from behind him, giving her a bright smile, the same way she usually dealt with rudeness. “My name is Jade, and this is-”

Before she could finish, another person stood up from the green couch, interjecting. “Aren’t you the boy who Karkat attacked?”

Dave bit his cheek, cringing under the tinted frames. “That would be me.” He quickly scanned the unfamiliar face over, expecting to be yelled at (again).

She had pale chocolate brown skin complemented by a deep crimson pixie cut, and her nose curved in a perfect arc. But coming to her eyes, he was surprised to find sympathy, rather than the cruelty worn by so many beautiful girls. Even kindness.

She extended her hand, which he hesitantly took and shook. “I’m sorry about my friend’s behavior today. It was really unacceptable. My name is Kanaya, and… this is Vriska,” she motioned to the other girl, blatantly avoiding eye contact, “That boy hugging Nepeta is Equius. It’s very nice to finally meet you.” She added a small smile for good measure.

_What does she mean, finally?_

A bit flustered, he stammered out a, “Yeah, ditto.”

From the torn up couch (undoubtedly due to the cats), a boy taller than even Dave spoke up, raising his hand in a piece sign. “You two seem motherfuckin’ chill as balls. Welcome to the crew.”

Jade, staring at the boy, noticed a puff of smoke emerge from his face which she couldn’t quite see. “Is… he smoking?”

Kanaya chuckled, twirling a strand of hair and tucking it behind her ear. “He is indeed. We don’t mind it much, as Gamzee is usually very good about keeping the smoke out of our way. Besides, the smell isn’t terrible.”

Dave perked up at this mention of the name Gamzee, turning away from petting Pounce. He had heard the legend of the kid who fashioned clown makeup while constantly smoking a joiny, but had never actually seen him. He’d begun to think he didn’t actually exist, or may have graduated years ago, only being spotted in the form of some literal school spirit. “Wait… Juggalo?”

_Holy shit. It’s him._

Gamzee lifted his head in response. Sure enough, his face was smothered in a thin layer of white clown's makeup. His eyes were red (most likely not due to a lack of sleep).

Dave covered his mouth, trying not to burst out laughing. Even Jade’s eyes crinkled in the corners as she held back a snort. The others must have simply been used to his unconventional appearance. Although, Vriska seemed to notice their struggle, snickering to herself behind a manicured hand.

They all knew of the Clown Stoner Legend.

Finally, Nepeta jumped out of Equius’s tight hold, and turned to them both, grinning widely. “Neow~! You’ve meet 5 of us… that leaves- Aradia! Where are mew?”

A girl poked out her head from the kitchen, auburn ombré hair tied in a loose ponytail. “Hello! I will be out in a moment, the muffins just need a few more minutes.”

Only now did Dave take in a deep breath, noticing the nutty scent spreading through the home. He also observed that the rapid beating of his heart had almost completely dissipated. Cool.

Another person came walking out from the kitchen. He was tall, lanky, and wearing a sweater near the color of rust over his black t-shirt. Running a hand through his overgrown black hair framing his face, he stammered out a, “H-hey, nice to meet you, I’m Tav! V, you wanted a blueberry one, right?”

Vriska sashayed down the hall, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. Kanaya turned away, going to sit on the couch. “Exactly right, babe.”

He blushed a bit at her touch, smiling nervously.

Nepeta, now sitting cross legged on the carpeted floor, began counting on her fingers. “Sollux and Eridan didn’t come… we’ve counted 8, so now that just leaves…”

Before Nepeta could finish the sentence, a sly, raspy voice from behind them spoke. “Hello there, cool kid!” Dave jumped a bit, stumbling back. The girl with bright red hair giggled, before pausing and giving a confused frown. “You are cool kid, aren’t you?”

Another girl stepped up from behind her, smiling sheepishly. “Yes Terezi, that’s Dave.”

Terezi, proud of herself, rested a hand on her hip with a smirk. “Delightful~! Hello Dave- my name is Terezi Pyrope. My hobbies include fighting the system and stumbling around blindly. Very pleased to make your acquaintance.” She extended a hand slightly to the right of him, which Feferi leaned in to adjust.

Dave, still a bit put off, stared into her red cat-eye glasses, seeing two white pupils behind them. “You’re… blind?”

She giggled devilishly in response. “As blind as a cave dwelling flybeast~!”

Feferi gave a giggle in response, to which Jade gave a small irritated mumble of, “Huh.”

Gamzee had somehow moved from the couch to the staircase in under 30 seconds. He smiled and draped an arm over her shoulder, making the poor girl leap in surprise. “What’s the bitch ass business, yo?”

She put her hands up as she jolted towards, but slowly lowered it as she let out a nervous giggle seeing him. "Oh. It's... just you. Haha..." Vriska let out a chortle at her reaction, arm wrapped around Tavros.

In response, she mumbled, “It’s…don’t worry, it’s nothing.”

At this point, the two had caught Feferi and Terezi’s attention, making her nervous. Feferi lightly rubbed the Hawaiian girl’s shoulder, giving a bright smile. “No, please, share! I like everyone to be able to say what they want when we meet up.” Jade hesitated, staring at the innocent, crooked grin, and her very pretty plump lips.

She flushed and stared at her feet. “It’s… not a big deal. It’s just that I never expected you to be so… nice.” After a moment of staring blankly, Feferi snorted, before bursting out with laughter. Jade joined in, embarrassed with herself. The rest watched in solidarity of being out of place.

After they'd calmed down, Feferi giggled, and stared happily into Jade’s eyes. Her smooth hands were placed on her shoulders in a way that made the brunette’s heartbeat quicken. “Yeah, hehe, a lot of people are surprised by me! It's because of my mom.”

Almost everyone in the room grew uncomfortable at that mention. Right, her mother, the principal. Ms. Peixes.

Dave even shuddered, recalling the image of her cryptic looking office door she never stepped out of. Most had never even seen her.

Feferi spoke once again, oblivious to how she’d struck fear into each of their hearts. “Either that, or it’s my boyfriend, Eridan,” Dave noticed that her use of the word ‘boy’ sounded a lot like ‘buoy’. “He can be a bit overbearing sometimes!”

Jade’s mood fell from cloud nine to eight, though she wasn’t sure why. “Oh… I’ve never met him.”

“I’ll introduce you sometime~!”

Jade’s dark olive skin turned to a pale pink. “T-that would be nice!”

Dave turned to Nepeta. “So, that’s 9 of you. Who’s left?”

Out of nowhere, the door to the bathroom burst open, and a boy who was all too familiar with them all walked out. “Hey, Nepeta, you’re out of toilet paper. What the hell is going on out here, you’re louder than usual. Did Sollux's scrawny ass decide to show up, or-”

Within that moment, he finally saw Dave.

His jaw dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! i’d like to thank you all for staying interested in this fic and helping me see it through. i’m very passionate about these characters, and writing it makes me feel almost as good as your comments do. thank you for your support!


	4. beat him up on a full stomach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat is ready to kick someone's ass and Dave is scared as shit.

“Wh- what the fuck!”

As Karkat spoke, his face turned a deep, deep shade of bright crimson, vibrant against his pale pink skin. Not to mention that the contrast of the thin red flannel against his skin was not helping. Dave almost laughed, if it weren’t for his heart leaping into his throat at the sight of this boy who was no longer restrained by school rules. More important- neither were his fists. Dave, on instinct, took a step back, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Wouldn’t want those falling off while he was getting a beating. Karkat, absolutely seething, yelled out, “What, the fuck, are you doing at Nepeta’s house. Did you come here to make fun of us or- also, what’s his friend doing here also? Does she just trail along after his sorry ass all the time? God, you’d just follow him into a bottomless pit if you had the-”

Before Karkat could advance any further, Aradia stepped out from the kitchen, holding a plate of baked goods wafting a heavenly aroma. She reached out, barricading him from moving forward any further. “Hold off on your violence for a moment, Karkat dear. At least beat him up on a full stomach~”

This prompted a snort from Tavros, who was carrying out another plate of muffins, each seeming to be of an entirely different mixture.

Karkat shook his head, and shoved past the girl’s extended arm and came storming towards Dave, who came to his senses and got into a stance of hunching over, fists clenched. It wasn’t like he hadn’t fought someone before. The experience with Bro was just now coming to good use. Ignoring the sighs and cries for the two to stop, back off, he rolled up his sleeves, raised a fist, and- “Hey.”

He froze and looked up at the long-haired boy who’d slipped between him and his opponent. Equius. Still… soaking wet. Dave couldn’t help but shiver in response to the cold, wet hand placed on his shoulder. Why didn’t he dry himself off after a shower..? The others had grown silent. Even Karkat had shut up. “You two can feel free to beat each other up outside, or at school.” He paused to lower his pair of cracked, tinted glasses, forcing Dave to meet his eyes. He was suddenly very, very thankful for the pair of dark aviators keeping Equius from meeting his. “But don’t you dare shed blood at Nepeta’s house.” With that, he backed away, leaving Karkat and the boy in red to face each other.

Karkat, though still a deep shade of flushed anger, was admittedly a bit less colored than previously. He retained eye contact with the boy for a moment. No one said a word.

Finally, the black haired boy turned away, scowling. “Let’s just eat some fucking muffins.”

* * *

Though he hadn’t received a personalized recipe like the rest of them, he had to admit- these were good ass muffins. They melted in his mouth and left his heart feeling warm. While they ate, Dave found that he couldn’t help but observe who got what kind of treat over their excited chatter. Nepeta got what appeared to but a nutty looking lemon one- Equius, blackberry. Vriska happily indulged in blueberry, smudging it all over her lips. Feferi got raspberry; Tavros, pecan; Terezi, maple. Aradia’s had clean chunks of strawberry embedded in the usual vanilla. Kanaya’s seemed to have herbs in a morning glory muffin, while Gamzee’s was- well, it was undoubtedly a special request. Karkat’s was chocolate cherry. Throughout the meal, he’d stay silent, but occasionally let out a mumble or angry declaration. Dave was beginning to suspect he didn’t actually have an indoor voice. Jade sat next to Feferi and seemed to be even more light and bubbly than usual. They got along well.

Really well.

Dave hadn’t seen his friend so excited since she got her new puppy 3 years ago, Bec. Terezi sat with a constant grin plastered on her face, and her pet gecko was perched on her shoulder. Occasionally she’d reach up, and pass it a piece of her muffin. Jade had asked- Its name was Lemonsnout, and in the words of Terezi, he was, “A sly bastard”. Occasionally, Tavros would have to interrupt his fairly constant talking due to having choked on a bit of nut. His coughing fits never failed to make Vriska laugh. That was another thing he noticed about the group; the laughter. Not a moment went by without someone bursting out in a fit of giggles or snickering to themselves over some dumb joke another had made. And the jokes, good god were they cheesy, but in that environment, he found that they were the funniest thing in the world. And under the hood he wore to shield himself from emotions, he was smiling, and laughing. Quietly at that, but he knew it was happening, and for the first time in a while it wasn’t completely ironic.

Once finished, Feferi stood up triumphantly, tying her black hair up in a messy ponytail. Obviously, it looked fantastic on her anyway. “Alright, everyone! I’m heading to the pool. Who’s in?” A few people, Jade included, stood up with almost no hesitation.

Jade turned to her host. “Nepeta, you have a pool?”

Smiling, she nodded her head. “Yeah! My sister is out there now. We both love swimming~!” Jade seemed even more taken aback that she had a sister, something never mentioned. She’d never seen the girl at school.

Karkat, pushing his chair back, took his plate to the kitchen while talking. “I’m gonna get going. I don’t wanna swim today.”

Feferi looked to the boy, confused. “You usually love swimming! You even brought you swimsuit with y-”

Before she could talk anymore, his dish clattered against the sink, loudly. Jade winced a bit at the noise, causing a sympathetic look from Feferi. “I said I don’t want to swim. I’m going home.”

Kanaya, though frowning at him, entered the kitchen as well and began talking in hushed tones to the young boy, who mumbled back in response. Dave could have sworn he saw a couple glances in his direction, but really, who could resist him? At least that’s what he told himself to deal with the fact that he felt like shit.

Feferi leaned over and whispered to him. “Don’t worry about him. Karkat can be really crabby sometimes.”

He turned to meet the girl’s eyes, giving her a weak smile. “It’s all good.”

After about a minute in silence and hushed chatter among the others, Kanaya emerged, Karkat following. “We’re going to head home. I’m giving Karkat a ride.”

Aradia, though clearly a bit irritated, nodded. “That’s fine. I wish you didn’t have to go… will you text me later?”

Kanaya smiled at her and pulled the girl into a hug. They were close, no doubt. “Absolutely.” With that, Kanaya pulled on a slick leather jacket while Karkat waited close behind. She spun her keys on her fingers once before waving goodbye. All the others, though seeming a bit put off, waved goodbye as well.

Vriska waved before quickly turning to Tavros. “Did you bring your swimsuit?” He nodded, motioning to his gym bag.

“Yeah, always do. I’m gonna go get changed.”

She smirked, running a hand along his back. “I’ll come with you.”

In a moment, the pair had entered the bathroom. Dave scratched at the nape of his neck for a moment, trying not to stare. Under her breath, Nepeta mumbled, “That’s my NOtp…”

Aradia spoke while digging through her backpack, only giving a passing glance to the couple. “Let’s get dressed. Jade, I’m assuming you don’t have a swimsuit?”

Jade smiled sheepishly. “I’m afraid not. Dave doesn’t either.” For a moment, he opened his mouth to protest but was promptly cut off.

“That should not be an issue. I have an extra swimsuit.” Dave turned to Equius, who had nonchalantly retrieved two swimsuits; One red, one blue.

Sighing, he brushed his hair back. “Sorry man. I’m not swimming.”

The brunette turned to him, seeming distraught. “What? Why?”

Feferi rested a hand on her hip, pouting a little. All eyes were now on him, and it was not fun.

“It’s just, that uh…”

He hesitated, hoping something would intervene his statement, with no luck.

“I don’t… really like… taking off my shirt.”

Silence reigned for a moment, before Terezi snorted and burst into laughter. Others joined in, leaving Dave standing there confused. Before he could interrupt, Tavros left the bathroom, Vriska trailing not far behind. “Dude, no one cares what’s under your shirt. I’m covered in scars and zits and all sorts of stuff. It’s gross, but they don’t care!”

Feferi added to this, looping her hair back. “Like I said, no secrets or bad feelings between us. You can show us anything you’re hiding.” She paused, mumbling to herself. “Karkat just doesn’t seem to realize that.”

He dwelled on that for only a moment before shaking his head, smirking, trying not to shake. “Okay, fine. Get ready to see the Strider unhinged.” With the precision of someone who’d done it countless times, he began to shimmy his hoodie and shirt off while keeping his sunglasses perched perfectly on his nose. Revealed was about 3 large, black and blue bruises lining his arms, and the purple imprint of his ribs against his pale skin. Jade took a sharp inhale, clearly not used to seeing him. Most of the group winced, glancing among themselves. It was dead quiet for a moment. Dave’s chest swelled with anxiety, realizing how tense the situation suddenly was.

Equius stepped forward, breaking the silence, and clapping him on the shoulder. “You’re very respectable for having to courage to show yourself.”

After a few seconds, Nepeta came up as well. “Like we said; you don’t have to hide anything here. We’ve got your back, Dave!”

Small smiles of reassurance spread across each of their faces, Gamzee raising a fist and grinning. And, once again, despite his fear, Dave felt the urge to smile one more time.

“...cool.”

Each of them changed into swimsuits, and in less than 10 minutes, they’d run out into the sunshine and plunged into the pool. It felt amazing. Dave hadn’t been swimming in months, and he’d forgotten how much he liked the feeling. He couldn’t go underwater- then, he couldn’t see anything, unless he took off glasses, which he refused to do. Showing his bruises was enough of a privacy violation for today. He was incredibly grateful for their not asking about them and simply letting it be. Jade knew why the bruises resonated often, but even she held her silence, which he appreciated greatly.

Floating silently in the water was so calming, he wanted to stay there forever.

After about a half hour of splashing around, Feferi emerged from underwater, flipping her raven hair over her shoulder and lifting the pink goggles from her eyes. “I’m thirsty. Anyone want a popsicle?” From the pools edge, Jade responded, “Can you grab me one?” Her dark hair was looped in a loose bun which hung in strands at her shoulders. As Feferi walked by, she leaned down and, smiling, tucked a piece behind her ear, making her blush and cover her mouth. Dave raised an eyebrow to his friend once Feferi had passed, to which she just gave a confused grin. He chuckled to himself before turned back to the scene unfolding before him. Vriska and Tav were making out in the corner of the pool; Terezi was attempting to train her gecko to swim (it wasn’t going well), and Karkat was… gone. Right.

He turned away while shaking his head, and spotted the Leijons chatting happily between one another, something he’d been a bit confused by when he’d first heard that Meulin is deaf. Jade, always the bold one, had been the one to ask how she could communicate. He felt quite stupid for not considering lip reading, actually. But, Meulin was kind about it. Hyperactive, yes- but perpetually sweet. Her long hair swam around her in swirls of gold until Nepeta had offered to raid it, to which Meulin happily accepted. For siblings, they were incredibly close, seeming to revel in each others company.

He wished he had that.

Disrupting his thoughts came Feferi’s yell of, “Popsicles! Come get ‘em!” Shrugging it off, he swam over to the edge of the pool, while the others gathered around him, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone! i'm so sorry this story took so long to update. but, i hope it was worth the wait. i'm going to try out some new perspectives in the next few, so if you'd like more character focus, let me know!

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone! thank you so much for reading this. upon posting, i’ve finished writing act 2, and am in the editing process. so, if you have any suggestions for changes, please feel free to share! <3


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